See How Many $40 Tolls Were Charged To I-66 Drivers

VIENNA, VA—Despite outrage over the new Interstate 66 tolls peaking at up to $40, analysis of the first four days of tolls shows many drivers did not end up paying that much. Tolls went into effect on I-66 inside the Beltway on Dec. 4. Solo drivers must pay tolls Monday-Friday 5:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. for all eastbound lanes and 3 p.m.-7 p.m. for westbound lanes. Anyone carpooling with an E-Z Pass Flex set to HOV-2 does not pay a toll.

The highest tolls prices took effect for a few minutes during the morning rush hour on Monday and Tuesday, Virginia Department of Transportation data shows. Average prices ranged from around $8-$13, while the highest fares were around 9:30 a.m. Monday ($34.50) and 8:09 a.m. Tuesday ($40). Records show 39 out of 13,473 Monday morning trips were charged the $34.50 toll and 28 of 14,548 Tuesday morning trips were charged $40.

Afternoon prices were considerably lower even as more cars were on the road. Tolls averaged around $4, peaking at $21.50 Thursday afternoon.

Toll prices can change every few minutes, calculated to ensure the average speed remains at 55 mph. Last week, speeds remained at 55 to 60 mph each day for the morning commute, and travel times were lower than those from a year prior.

Meanwhile travel times on alternate routes like 7, 29 and 50 were similar to those from 2016, according to data. There was one outlier on Route 29, with average travel times spiking from about 25 to 40 minutes just before 5 p.m. VDOT did not provide data on Route 123.

The tolls have sparked outrage among drivers and bipartisan groups of politicians. Virginia Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne has defended the tolls, saying they encourage people to find alternatives to solo driving in the I-66 corridor.

“Based on four days of data, it is clear that the Express Lanes on I-66 Inside the Beltway are already providing an improved and more reliable trip for carpoolers, bus riders and solo drivers who choose to pay,” said Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne in a statement. “Travel times on I-66 were 10-12 minutes over the four-hour rush period last week compared with 15 to 30 minutes last December, and travel times on parallel roads are either similar to last year or improved.”

Carpooling drivers using the road for free ranged from 30-45 percent. Others are charged through E-Z Pass accounts by passing under the new toll scanners. Drivers without E-Z pass are not permitted to use the road. If they do, a camera will capture their license plate number and they will be billed with an extra charge.

Drivers can check real-time toll prices here.

Images via VDOT